Without You
by Meraculas
Summary: The Scooby Gang deals with Buffy missing. They begin a frantic search to try and find her, while some things in Sunnydale begin to change. Companion to Buffy the Renegade Vampire Slayer.


**A/N:** Okay, companion piece one of many more to come, for my story 'Buffy the Renegade Vampire Slayer'. Enjoy and please review.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

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**Without You:**

School had started up again and Willow sat with Oz, Xander, Cordelia, and Giles in the library. They had guarded the Hellmouth all summer waiting for Buffy to return. It just was not right it did not feel right.

"So, any news on the Buffy front?" Oz asked. He was not one to talk but over the summer, he had found that he was the one to start the conversations. He Liked silence, but not awkward silences, and the summer had been filled with them.

"No, I've check with everyone I can, and nobody has seen her. No one has even heard her name other then from me." Giles told them.

"She'll come, she's the slayer, and she has to come back." Cordelia reasoned.

"I would be nice if she believed that." Xander said staring off into space as if only half there.

"School's already started, so you really think she'll come back now?" Willow asked.

"I really don't know. She's stayed away this long, without even a phone call from a pay phone." Giles told them.

"I visited Buffy's mom and Dawn yesterday on my way home. They are not doing so well. Dawn especially." Willow said.

"Well, at least we have each other." Oz said trying to cheer everyone up.

"That is very true." Giles replied, "Together we can keep looking for Buffy and protect the Hellmouth. All of you are doing very well in your training."

Over the summer, Giles had begun to train them as if they were slayers; they were showing amazing results.

"Thanks for the confidence boost." Xander said.

The bell rang signaling that classed were to begin.

"I'll see you in my break." Xander said getting up to head to class.

* * *

That night the Scoobies minus Giles and the MIA Buffy patrolled one of the many local cemeteries. 

"I wonder what Buffy is doing this very second, wherever she is." Cordelia said.

"I don't know." Oz replied happy someone broke the awkward silence.

"What if she's dead?" Xander said, "We would never know."

"Don't think like that, Xander." Willow scolded, "Of course Buffy is alive."

It was then when everyone lapsed back into silence that everyone heard the sounds of somebody fighting up ahead.

"That could be Buffy." Oz said boosting moral.

Everyone rushed of in that direction, to see what it was. When they got to the fight, they saw a dark haired brown-haired woman fighting with a vamp, and apparently winning.

She grabbed for her fallen stake once she knocked the vampire onto its back, but it kicked out sending her to the ground.

Running over Xander grabbed the vampire by its shoulders, as the girl grabbed her stake. She let it connect with the creature's heart and it turned to dust.

"Who are you and give me one reason why I shouldn't do that same thing to you?" The girl told him.

"Xander!" Willow cried out running over to her friend Cordelia and Oz right behind her.

"Who are you all?" She asked them.

"We should be asking you that very same question." Cordelia stated.

"How did you know what that was, and how to kill it?" Xander asked her.

"I'm the slayer. The one and only." She told them, "How do you know about vampires?"

"We're friends with the other slayer." Willow said bravely, "Or at least we were before she ran away and hasn't contacted anyone since."

"I'm Xander." Xander said introducing himself, "That's Willow, Oz, and Cordelia." He continued pointing to each person respectively.

"Faith." She said lowering her stake.

* * *

The next day Xander, Cordy, Oz, Willow, and Faith were gathered in Sunnydale library waiting for Giles to show up. 

"I thought you said he was always here early." Faith said looking at Xander. Seeing that Cordelia edged closer to her boyfriend.

"I know, this is weird." Xander commented.

"Maybe Buffy missing has finally made him snap." Cordelia said, "Maybe he left town as well. Oh no, please no!"

It was then that Giles decided to walk into the library. He looked bad. He was not wearing his tweed, and his shirt was not tucked in, his hair was standing in every which direction. He also looked kind of drunk and tired.

"Yoh, G-man, what's up?" Xander asked, "You were late."

Giles looked up at them, "Who is that?" He asked when he saw Faith.

"This is Faith, she's a slayer. She must have been called when Kendra died." Xander explained. Faith put on a big smile, though looking nervous.

"Well, I can't train her." Giles said, "The Watcher's Council has fired me because I was unable to control my slayer."

"What?" Cordelia cried outraged, "They can't do that! Buffy left for who knows why! You can't be penalized for that, can you?"

"Yes, Cordelia I can." Giles told them sitting down at the table in the middle, "And I have. The new watcher will be arriving by the end of the week."

* * *

Meanwhile, across town in the abandoned mansion where Angelus, Spike, and Drusilla had stayed something was happening. 

A small earthquake occurred. A bright light appeared in the room where the statue of Acathla still resided. When the light faded, a trembling figure could be seen on the floor. It was one of a male, and he had no clothes on. If someone were in the room, they would have seen that he had a tattoo of a griffin holding the letter 'A' on his shoulder blade.


End file.
